Problem 1CQ
Chapter
Chapter List
CH1
Problem
Problem List
1CQ
Suppose the three fundamental standards of the metric system were length, density, and time rather than
length, mass, and time. The standard of density in this system is to be defined as that of water. What
considerations about water would you need to address to make sure that the standard of density is as
accurate as possible?
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 of 2
The density
of any substance is defined as its mass per unit volume.
Here, m is the mass of the substance and V is the volume of the substance.
Step 2 of 2
Assume that the standard of density in this problem is that of water. In such a situation, one must be
accurate with the values of the standard temperature, standard pressure, and quality of the water as
density varies with temperature and pressure.
In addition, it is not possible to measure density as a single unit like length and mass, as it depends on the
values of mass and volume. So, density is a derived quantity. So, the values of mass and volume of water
must be accurate to consider the density of water as a standard unit.